Menominee Tribe looking to move forward with proposed Kenosha casino

KENOSHA (WITI) — The Menominee Indian Tribe has gained ground on the proposed Kenosha casino after an announcement Thursday, October 10th that it will partner with the Seminole Tribe for a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Governor Scott Walker will ultimately make the decision whether or not the proposal will move forward. The Governor has previously stated he will only sign off if there’s a mutual consensus among all 11 Wisconsin tribes.

Wisconsin residents have differing opinions on bringing a new casino to Kenosha.

“It’s jobs, and Kenosha lost everything — they lost Chrysler, the dog track, so hey, I think it’s a good idea,” said Charles Brooks.

“At the end of the day you can’t be distracted by shiny objects. That’s really what this is,” said Brian Nemoir of Enough is Enough, a group against the proposed casino. “I think the proliferation of gaming in Wisconsin has come to an end.”

Although Gov. Walker is optimistic about the proposal, he is still looking for the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk Tribes to get on board.

“I’m going to be meeting in the next week, myself personally, with all of the interested parties and seeing if we can find some sort of a win-win,” said Gov. Walker. “If they can show that they legitimately meet the three criteria I set up two and a half years ago, then we’d be inclined to move forward.”

Gov. Walker has set up a 60-day window for the Menominee Tribe to gain consensus, ending on October 22nd. If the project is approved, Hard Rock plans to open by 2015.